Stone crushing device



Feb. 12, 1952 R. A. CAMPBELL ,22

STONE CRUSHING DEVICE Filed April 3Q, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. EQBERT CAM? BELL Feb. 12, 1952 R. A. CAMPBELL STONE CRUSHING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 30, 1948 B *1 NJ 2. 59 v [N V EN TOR. EoBERT A. CAMPBEU Feb. 12, 1952 R. A. CAMPBELL 2,585,224

STONE CRUSHING DEVICE Filed April 30, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. Ron ALAMPBELL Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v mm .cnosnmo nnvrcn ltobert Campbell, Glen Flora, Wis. Application April 30, 1948, Serial No. 24,132

My invention relates to improvements in a combination excavator and stone crushingdevice. In particular, it relates to a mobile mechanism for excavating field stones which are on or adjacent the surface of land intended for agricultural use, having means for classifying the stones, a crushing mill for pulverizing and dispersing the stones in a finely ground form back onto the surface of the land, and means for rejecting other stones which may be of too great a size to enter the crushing mill.

In certain geographical areas, the soil contains a great many natural stones resulting from glacial deposits, which may either be embedded in the soil or resting loosely on the surface of the soil. While such stones constitute an impediment to cultivation of the land, and as such are a nuisance, they may, nonetheless, be converted into one or more useful forms where they. can be made to contribute to the fertility'of-the land, or at least be easily gathered so that they can be collected and usedfor various forms of construction. It is known that many forms of rocks or stones resulting from glacial deposits contain mineral matter in the form of water soluble salts such as the salts of phosphorus and iron, which are highly beneficial for agricultural purposes. In their natural state. the surfaces of these stones through countless years of having been in contact with natural waters have had any such salts removed therefrom by leaching. However, when such stones are broken or crushed to-expose fresh surfaces, the water soluble salts on these newly formed surfaces are available to provide additional mineral material to the soil, and furthermore, the ground stones can enrich the soil to the extent that when mixed therewith they tend to aerate the soil which is also highlybeneficial. On the other hand, numerous stones of this type which are of relatively large dimension can be used for building and construction purposes if they can be efficiently excavated and separated from the smaller stones and soil. In many parts of the country these natural stones are used for building walls and dwellings, and, therefore, they form a valuable article of commerce.

In the present invention, I have provided a mobile device includingan excavator for gathering the stones which may be either resting loosely on the surface of the soil or embedded therein at or adjacent the surface thereof. After they have been gathered or excavated, the rocks or stones are conveyed by an elevator'to a suitable crushing mill which forms a part of the device, and during the period of movement on the elevator, provision is made'for the removal" of any free soil or fine gravel, so that in effect the crusher acts only on the stones which have been freed of such fine material. As there is likelihood of the excavator picking up stones which are larger than can be handled by the crusher, means are provided for shuntingthese larger stones away from the crusherand diverting them through a passage or' chute to theside of the device where they can be dumpedinto a suitable container or truck travelling alongside of the device, or dropped to the surface of the earth where they can be picked up later. The smaller stones that pass intothe crusher are ground to asuitable degree of fineness, and means are provided for distributing the finely ground stone to the soil in a form in which it may be plowed into the soil or allowed to remainon the surface for leaching action.

' An object of my invention to provide a mobile mechanism for gathering stones from the ,surfaceof soil and classifying such stones into two or more groups, one group of which is rejected in a manner that the stones may be gath- 26 eredgfor a particular use, while the other group is directed into a. crushing mill where it is ground and re-distributed to the soil in such a manner that it will be of value to the soil. H

Another object is to provide a mobile mechanism for gathering stones from thesurrace of the soil where they are a nuisance, and grinding and returning them the soil in a form in which they are beneficial to the soil. 7 7

Another objectis to provide a mobile device for excavating stones from the soil together with means for classifying the excavated material into three groups, one of which consists of loose soil or gravel which is immediately returned in rear of the excavator, a second of which consists of intermediate sized stones which are ground and returned to the soil in a form in which they tend to enrich the soil, and a third group consists of larger'stones that are rejected in such a manner that they may be easily collected for constructional use.

A further object is to provide a mobile excavator' andstone grinding mill for gathering field stones from the soil, together with an elevator extending between the excavator and the 'mill that is constructed in such a manner as to dispose of the soil and finely divided matter during the period of elevation, togetherwith means for returning the ground material to the soil, and

further means cooperable with the mill for re- 3 jecting the stones of a size greater than can be normally crushed within the mill.

Other and iurther objects may become apparent from the following description and claims and in the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 IS a side elevation of the device forming the present invention with parts broken away to show internal construction;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;, 1

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the lines 3--3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the lines 4-4 bf Fig.1; and

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modmed structure. Referring now to the severaffigure's"ofthe" ,ly shown in Figs, 2 and extend from the top ,tothe bottomjofj' amber 82. A heavy cylindrical rotor 86 is supper ed witliinthe interior "of chamber 82 on a shaft 88, which is in turn journaled a heavy thrust bearing 90 on a cross member 92.i th'atie'xtends between the horizontal frame member l2 and I4. Cylinder 88 also has a plu- 'i-aiity of heavy ribs 94 on its outer surface, which drawing, the invention will beldescribed in detail. General reference numeral l8 shows a combination excavator and crushing mill having' a'fr'ame' member consisting of afpair of horizontal beams l2fand I4, joined"by*cr6s meinber ;Fig'. 2. Towards the rear'of the 'stiucture and extending upwardly from beams" l2'-arid l4'are" a plurality ofvertical uprights 16,18, 2;] and22, which are joined at their upper nds" by a 'plurality of angle irons 24, 26,28 andfBO'soas'to form a substantially rectangular hollow 'frairie.

Anelevator indicatedby general-reference numeral 32 and'con's'isting'of'a pairof lateral members 34 and 36farepivo'tally' mounted at 38 on angle iron 28. 'Adjacent tl'ieir other end, members 34 and rest on mangle iron 4il'that is rendered adjustable in its position" by a heavy threaded bolt 42 which "may be i'o'tated through suitable gearing provided in a box '44 that is in turn oper- 'ated by a rod 45 havi'nga manuallyoperable crankhandle 46.---- e The elevator 32 also consists of a pair of endless bands or chains 48 and 50, see Figs. 1, 2-and 4,

that operate over 'sprecket gears-indicated at 52,

53, 54 and-55. Extending betWeen -the-bands or chains 48 andare aplurality of angle iron slats indicated by the generaLreference numeral 56 and consisting of an upwardly extending portion 51' and a rearwardly extending portion. 58.

Of particular importance in this invention-is the fact that the portion 58 of any one slat. 56 is spaced from the upwardlyextendingportion .51 of the next adjacent slat. so astoform an opening 80 between each 'slat. p The opening- 60- extends across the entire width of elevator 32 and. forms a means of classifying material as thedsame. is elevated in that fine materialis permittedtopass throughmhe several openings 60 between each of thesIatsSB.-

- Secured to the lower orforward end of elevator --32 is an excavating scoop 62 which, as shown in Fig. 1, has a. lowerflat.forwardportion .63. and

inwardly tapered side walls .64. and s ow in Fig. 2 for. d ect ma er al n v le tctqr 3 a.

T e d ce n i i t nd dtah mobi e wat this purpose a pair, of front wheels, Q6 and 68 are ita l im rm i a ha t mi e a e P tween theframe members IZ and I4. li a pair of reanwhe'els I2and 14 are uitably journaled on a shaft 16 that extends tween the uprights mend 22. Whilefthe' devicemi'ght be self-propelled,in the present instanca'a' prime mover, not shown, is provided; and thewheels are merely to permit the device It] to bereadiiy moved over the surface of the ground.

As shown in the several views of thedrawin'g, a stone crushing mill indicated by the "general reference numeral -18--is suitably' supported. .by brackets 19 and ontotheseveral'upright mem- .cooneratewiththe ribs 84 of chamber 82 to form a grinding surface.

To provide movement of the elevator 32 and the cylinder 86, a suitable source of power herein illustrated as anintern'alicombustion engine 95, is suitably supportedon the horizontalirame members l2 and beneath the elevator 32. The engine is 'conventionalin all. aspects and .is provided with ai'control-leverfifi for controlling a transmission 91 through whichpower is conveyed to an'endle'ssband or' chain 98 and a suitable sprocket gear 108 toitlieelevator .32, and by.,.a shaft I82 which is journaledat l04.to a gear 106 which meshes with afgear I08. on'shaft 88 to provide movement for cylinder.86.. Referring nowto Fig.2,lan apron'or; p ar i -l l0 extends from beneath thezupn' r nd of. e eva o 32 to the mill 18 fornirectinggmaterial into the space indicated at 2 forming the interior of the grinding mill. .Extendingpartially, across the t op of mill .l8isjacover structure I 14, which carries a first vertical member. J 16. for. d e i hfiflggre- ,gatefroin pan 0.1mm; thes ac 2.- .Al Qfi t n frczaccver U4 s asecqn y rt almemvbei- H8 thatextends-tqa c ute ZQS OWIJ-JILFKES- 2 d 3., Asshownin Fiiss-n andfilon ve o he r b.9 4 eicylin er 8tisashcrt1 19iacti n.HZ-- E h I l8. .or, movin la e iec s a e ate ha ab up rtedp flhc se er p is imm r and directing the same in a downward direction bestseen inFig l, an elongated pan IZtfis supported Qiljhe lower side ofelev'a'tor' 32 nd se v t cae e ej l a r t 'a il through the op nings 68 and? directing the'l sa 'ric t wards th sl q ndei i i iii ielx in re f f Y 3 P un e the. us i. s o v t we; aiiiiby theslats 56 situatedonthelower part of the levator.

,..F r,.s mpi c tsif f interstate acetat been made to show a steeringmechanism in coniunctimwith .E c .1 n 2 or the reasoaiha the structure may be suitably coupledtda prime mover in any. one f. a numb rof. yv vseach of which would require a different type of steering mechanism. U l However -in view oi the factthat itis desirable to show one form of coupling the structure ld to a prime mover, such as a tractor, a preferred .means is shownin Figs. 5 and 6. In this mqdifraction. the channel b ams. 12 and ,l 4c. xtend 75- beyond the scoop 62 and are joined on their'forward end by the cross beam ISa. A-paircf lugs positioned pin indicated at I32, I34. The wheels 66a and 68a are mounted on stub axles I36, I38

which have formed integral therewith tubular portions I40, Fig. 5, that surround the pins I32, I34, so as to enable the axles and wheels to rotate axially about the pins I32, I34. Rigidly connected to portions'l lil and extending forwardly therefrom parallelwith the beams I2a, I4a are a pair of arms I42, I44 which are pivotally joined at I46, I48 to a yoke I50. v v

A drawbar [52 is pivotally joined at I54 to yoke I 50 and is also pivotally joined at I56 to the cross beam I5a. Drawbar I52 is adapted for c'onnection at I56 to another drawbar I58 forming a part of a conventional tractor I60.

The operation of the device will now be explained in detail. When the device is to be placed in operation, the engine 95 is started and the operation of the mill and the elevator, the same are in continuous operation at all times.

The device is normally moved over the ground by a prime mover such as a tractor, and one means of coupling the tractor to the device is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, although it should be understood that any other conventional means of connecting the prime mover to the structure I is within the scope of my invention. With the coupling shown in Figs. and 6, the power from tractor I60 is applied through drawbars I58, I52 to cross beam I50. of the frame, although drawbar I52 is also pivotally connected at I54 to the yoke I50 to provide a means of steering device I0. When the tractor is moving in a straight forwardly direction, the pull is transmitted through drawbar I52 directly to the frame. When, however, the tractor turns, the torque is transmitted to yoke I50, which will be caused to shift on its pivots I46, I48, thereby causing the wheels 66a and 68a to turn in unison so that the structure I0 will suitably follow the tractor.

Crank handle 46 is adjusted so as to properly lace scoop 62 with respect to the ground. In some instances it will be desirable only to gather stones that are relatively loose on the surface of the ground. Under other conditions, it may be desirable to use scoop 62 as an excavating device and in that instance it is adjusted so as to bite into the ground for a suitable distance and convey everythin that is excavated by it to the elevator 32. Elevator 32 rotates in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 1, and the aggregate, consisting of stones and soil, are carried from scoop 62 upwardly in the direction of the top of the mill T8. The several slats 56 are shown as being separated from each other for a distance of substantially five inches and in such an arrangement the open spaces 60 between the portion 58 of one slat and the portion 57 of the next succeeding slat will be about one inch, as shown herein. This distance is suflicient to permit loose soil and small pebbles or gravel to fall through the elevator and descend to the pan I26 where the several slats which are moving downwardly will carry the material so deposited to the ground immediately inrear of scoop 62. Thus, it will be understood that in the process of elevating the aggregate, a first step of classification of the aggregate is accomplished to remove one fractionthereof. As the coarser material moves upwardly on the elevator it is pushed across pan IIO intothe open space II2 between the cylindrical rotor 86 and the stationary chamber 82. That portion of the aggregate which is sufficiently small to enter this space will be ground between the ribs 84 and 94 of the grinding mill as it descends in the mill. However. certain of the stones may be larger than the distance between ribs 94 and ribs 84, and would, therefore, be too large to be successfully ground in the mill. The several projections I 22 on every other rib 94 are provided to give movement to these large stones and in the course of rotation of cylinder 86, which would be in a counterclockwise direction'as shown in Fig. 2, the large stones are brought into contact with the vertical member IIB andslidably moved thereby to chute I20 where they will fall to the ground or to any suitable container such as a truck that may be provided adjacent the structure. Since one of the principal purposes of the device is to crush the rock into fine aggregate and immediately return it to the land, the finely ground material passing from mill I8, descends through a chute I24 where it is spread in a relatively broad layer across the surface of the land as the device is moved.

The advantages of my device are that I provide a single mechanism having combined means for excavating or gathering rocks from rock strewn soil and classifying the material so gathered into three groups, one of which is immediately returned to the soil, the second of which is pulverized and returned to the land to provide beneficial results, and the third of which is rejected in the course of the operation in such a manner that it might be independently collected for other purposes.

The invention is not restricted to the single illustration, but is defined in the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a frame, a vertical open-topped chamber supported by said frame, the interior surface of said chamber tapered inwardly from the open end and supporting a plurality of axially extending projections, a rotor within the axis of said chamber carrying a plurality of laterally extending projections which cooperate with the projections on the interior surface of the chamber to form a grinding mill when the rotor is moved relative to the chamber, there being an annular opening at the top of the mill between the chamber and the rotor for the admission of an aggregate between said projections, means supported by the frame for moving aggregate to the top of the mill, means supported by the frame for driving the rotor, a plurality of horizontally extending ribs on the upper end of the rotor and projecting in the direction of the chamber to engage oversize elements of the aggregate, a chute extending outwardly from one side from the top of the mill for receiving and disposing of the oversize elements, and a barrier extending from adjacent the axis of the rotor to one side of the chute in relatively close spaced relation to the horizontally extending ribs on the motor for engaging the oversize elements carried by the ribs and discharging the same into the chute.

, 1 2. iIn'Pa deviceofthe classcdescribdi-im combi- .chainber :and carrying a plurality of laterally riexte'n'ding projections which cooperate with-the 1 projections on' the interiorasurfaceaof' the'jchamher to :form a jgrindingirnill when the rotor; is

moved relative :to the chamber, ,there .-being ;an annu-la-r opening: at r the topaof: the:- mill ,-between the' chamber and the" rotor for; the :admissionof r-amaggregate-rbetween said projections,-means-for 1 rotatably driving the: rotor relative to i thechamshay-means supported Jay" the frame. for. moving aggregate to @the 1 top 1 of "the mill, 5 a first chute carried by the frame beneath: the mill for receiv- 1 ingigroun'd aggregate from the mill and-dischargin'githe. same, a plurality of horizontally extending: ribs on the top of'the rotor which;:project outwardly over the opening between: the-chamber and the rotor'to engageioversize'elements of-ithe aggregate, and a secondzchute extending? outifrom one iside of -the topof themill, ra.

1=portion not 7 .said {chute -:extend1ng inwardly over "atheirotor 1-120 2. :point f -adjacvent 'athe 584x15 thereof and being in relatively 1-e1os e:spaced relation "to ;the ahorizontally e'xtending :ribs and Ziormlng -=a sbarrier which {engages ethe oversize (elements of :.thei. aggregates1andlxiischargesythesame; intonthe isaidxlastinamedchute.

ROBERT-FA. CAMPBEL .QKEFERENGESflI-IED The =following rferencesare ot recorxl in the *file bit-his patrit 2 .UNITED 4 STATESFBATENTS Number Name Date .=l.-04;537 :Baker V June 21,-1'8q0 4 20;97-2 Hug-hesn, Nov.-;14, -1871 234,027 wGrant Nov. 1 2, l880 703,461 Petterfl-Julyi, 1902 1;462,096 Wiertz July; 17; 1923 1,525,450 Kneebone a ---Feb.-10,,-1925 1,941,770 Welsfordet-al July-2,1934 22,114,078 Jackson Apr. 12, 1938 2201,493 -J0rgensen --M-ay-,-2l;-1940 

